Tank-car



PATENTED PEB. 2, 1904.

E. ANDERSON.

TANK GAR.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. '4, 190s.

N0 MODEL.

PATBNTED FEB. 2, 1904.

No. 751,040t

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 4 E. ANDERSON. TANK GAB.. APgIIoATI'oN PIL-BD snrngz.1903.

No MODEL.

. l g m E. ANDERSON.

TANK GAN.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 4. 1903.

H0 KODBL.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

TH: norms frans co.. PHA-Houma., wAsmuaToN, uA c.

faz/Gua?" UNITED STATES Patented February 2, 1904.

PATENT EErcE.

ELECK ANDERSON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO O. C.MANN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TANK-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 751,040, dated February2, 1904.

Application filed September 4, 1903. Serial No. 171,916. .(No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

i Be itknown thatI, ELECK ANDERSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county'of Cook and State of Illinois,

i have invented new and useful Improvements in Tank-Cars,of which thefollowing is a specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide an improved'construction ofcars of the general class commonly called tank-cars, which comprise areceptacle usually in the form of a cylindrical tank, but sometimes inthe form of an open-topped tank of metal mounted upon a base-frame lorfiat-car and secured thereto in any manner which avoid liability toproducing leaks in the tank by the strain on the fastenings resultingfrom the endwise thrust of the tank relatively to the support incidentto transportation.

It consists in the features of construction set out in the claims.

Figure l is a side elevation of a car-platform frame and tank thereonmounted according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a section at the line 2 2on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section at the line 3 3 on Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is aplan view with the tank in part broken away to disclose the platformstructure and other details. Fig. 5 is a detail plan view, partlysectional at the plane of the axis of the cushioning-springs, showing amodified construction of the headblock and connections. Fig. 6 is adetail bottom plan view of a part of the platform toward one end,showing another modification of the cushioning structure.

I have shown the platform-frame in a form such as would be desirablewhen such frame is made of structural iron; but it will be understoodthat my invention is not limited to such a form of construction. Asillustrated, the platform -frame comprises the end sills 1 1 'and sidesills 2 2, rigidly framed together in any suitable and approved manner.The end sills are wider in the middle than at the ends and are connectedby I-beams 8 3, extending between them at their lower edges-that is,below the horizontal plane of the side sills 2 2-and additionallongitudinal beams 4 4 vwith the ends of the plate 5.

extend between the end sills parallel with the side sillsand at the samehorizontal plane as the latter. r1`he bolsters at which the trucks areto be swiveled are made each of two plates 5 and 6, the former extendingbelow and secured to the lower edges of the side sills 2 2 and thelongitudinal beams 4 4 and above and secured to the upper edges of thelongitudinal beams 3 3. The lower plate 6 of the bolster extends belowthe I-beams 3 3 and is deflected upward at the ends for junction withthe side sills 2 2 immediately below and in contact The I-bearns thusserve as struts for the trussed bolsters which are further reinforcedand stilened by the malleable iron filling-blocks 7 7, which occupy thetriangular intervals at the outer sides of the I-beams and between theplates 5 and 6. In order to avoid weakening the longitudinal beams atthe point at which they are liable to be exposed to the greatestbreaking strain-that is, at the transverse line of the pivoting of theframe to the trucksbeing the medial line of the bolsters, I make theplate 5 considerably wider than the plate 6, so that the bolts by whichit is secured to the longitudinal means -penetrate and require aperturesin those beams at a considerable distance from the said line of breakingstrain. On the upper side of the Ibeams 3 3 and between the longitudinalbeams 4 4 there are mounted, so as to be guided in movementlongitudinally thereof by said beams and to be supported by them oreither pair of them, head-blocks 8 8. Preferably these head-blocks haveat the ends recesses 9 9, in which the longitudinal beams 4 4 arereceived and serve to guide the head-blocks. In these head-blocks thereare formed spring pockets 10 10, in which are lodged coil-springs 11 11,and to the beams 4 4, at a considerable distance back from4 the ends ofthe platform-frame, rods 12 12 are made fast, said rods extendingthrough the lpockets 10 and the springs 1l, coiled therein,

and having on their ends beyond the springs stop-nuts 13 13 fortensioning' the springs and drawing the head-blocks up against the endsof the tank 14, the head-blocks being' provided each with a wooden block1,5., of any suitable width, extending up facing the ends of the tankand shaped to accommodate the customary bulge or conveXity of the headsof the tank, so as to distribute over a suitable portion of the same thepressure or stress necesv the tank'from the jamming of the heads, whichresults from mounting' it between rigid stops in the customary manner.An equally important function of these cushioned head-blocks is toaccommonate the expansion of the tank, which occurs when steam is turnedinto it for cleansing, as it is customary and necessary when tanks areused for oil. The expansion in such cleansing by means of steam amountsto over an inch and not only rapidly destroys the usual fixed woodenstop-blocks, but 4also causes the heads of the tank to be crushed in andthe joints opened. The yielding headblocks prevent these injuries.

The tank is seated intermediate its ends at as many points as may bedeemed desirable, according to its length and stiffness, on chairs 16 1616, which are rigidly supported on the platform-frame, being preferablyformed as shown, so that they seat upon flat cross-bars 17, extending inthe same plane as the'upper bars 5 of the bolsteis-that is, above the I-beams 3 and below the longitudinal beams tand thc chairs have at theirends the projections 18, the projections overhanging and adapted toengage them with the longitudinal beams 4c; but they are preferably leftwithout bolt-fastenings to any of the beams. chairs have notches orrecesses which receive longitudinal wooden bars 19, which extendsubstantially the entire length of the tank and serve as rests uponwhich it is directly and immediately lodged for support in the chairs.The tank will be secured and bound tightly down onto these rests on thechairs by straps 2O 2O near the ends of the tank, the straps beingsecured at their ends in cross-blocks 27, bolted to the longitudinalbeams 4 4 and 2 2.

I do not limit myself to connecting the headblocks with theplatform-frame of the car by means of rods, between which andtheheadblocks the cushioning-springs react. On the contrary, thecushioning-springs may beinterposed derectly between the head-blocks andthe end sills of the platform-frame. Such construction is illustrated inFig. 5; but when it is employed it is obviously necessary that the endsills should be joined to the longitudinal beams in a manner to properlyresist the end thrust of the tank and avoid the liability to which sucha structure would be eX- posed of having' the end sills torn away by thelongitudinal thrust of the tank when Thesel head-bl ocks being retained,but not necessarily i having any springs. lodged in them.

tank and distribute the strain somewhat more generally than it would bedistributed by the employment of the cushioned head-blocks attheflowerside only,'I employ, preferably, in addition to these, saddles21 21 fitted to the ends at the upper edge and connected by rods 22 22,extending obliquely down inward from To further cushion the end thrustof the L the ends toward the middle' to the base-frame,

the connection being made by extending therods 22 through springpockets23 28, .situated obliquely .on plates 24 24, which are mounted upon theouter sides of the longitudinal beams 4 4,' respectively, springs 25 25being lodged in the pockets and .encircling the rods, respectively, thelatterl having stopnuts 26 26 beyond the spring operating to suitablytension the springs to draw the saddles firmly on the opposite corners,respectively, of the tank. This construction, it will be seen, isclosely analogous to that shown in Fig. 6, as a modication .of thestructure shown in the principal figures for cushioning the head-blocksatthe lower side.

l. In a car structure for the purpose specied, in combination with asupporting platform or frame and the tank supported thereon, head-blocksat the opposite ends of the tank having a range of longitudinalmovement, and springs reacting on said head-blocks to force themyieldingly inwardagainst the ends of the tank.

2. In a car structure for the purpose specied, in combination with thesupporting-platform and the tank lodged thereupon, headblocks at theopposite ends of the tank guided longitudinally on the platform;strain-rods connecting said head-blocks with the platform structure andsprings interposed in the connection to yieldingly resist thelongitudinal separation of the head-blocks. 1

3. In a car structure of the character speci-l fied, in combination witha supporting-platform and the tank lodged thereon; head-blocks atopposite ends of the tank supported and guided on the platform withrange of movement longitudinally thereof; rods secured to the platformat a distance'inward fromfthe ends of the tank respectively, andextending thence outward through the head-blocks respectively; springson said rods bearing on the head-blocks and adjustable stops on the rodsbeyond the springs.

4. In a car structure of the character specied, in combination with theplatform and the tank lodged thereon; head-blocks bearing on theopposite ends of the tank supported on the platform and guidedlongitudinally with respect thereto, said head-blocks having in theirouter sides spring pockets; strain-rods secured to the platformstructure at a distance inward from the ends of the tank respectively,and extending through the pockets; springs coiled about the rods withinthe pockets and stops on the rods beyond the springs.

5. In a tank-car in combination with the supporting-platform and thetank lodged thereon, saddles lodged upon the opposite ends of the tankat the upper side; rods extending from said saddles at opposite sidesobliquely downward toward the middle of the length of the car;spring-pockets mounted on the platform underneath the tank at a distanceback from the ends, said strain-rods extending through said pockets;springs coiled about the rods within the pockets, and adjustable stopson the rods beyond the springs.

6. In a tank-car in combination with a platform and the tank lodgedthereon; head-blocks supported on the platform at opposite ends of thetank; springs reacting between the headblocks and the platform structureto hold the head-blocks yieldingly toward the opposite ends of the carand toward.each other; saddles lodged upon the upper corners of the tankat opposite ends; strain-rods extending from the saddles down along theopposite sides of the car obliquely ,toward the middle; springy ELECKANDERSON.

In presence of- CHAs. S. BURTON, FRED G. FISCHER. Y

